On Nov 2, Imran Khan has promised the country a “lockdown” of the capital. This, he believes, will force the government to accede to his demands of accountability over the Panama Papers affairs.

The way the rumour mill is rife with speculation, connecting the march with everything from an Election Commission of Pakistan hearing to the appointment of the new army chief, it would appear that this will be a watershed for the country.

But on the streets of Islamabad, there is no buzz, no anticipation of the impending arrival of the greatest political show in the country. This is perhaps due to the uncertainty surrounding Mr Khan’s plans; the planned protest has already been rescheduled once, so what is the guarantee it won’t be postponed again?

Government machinery has already swung into action: Rawalpindi’s police have asked for 10,000 teargas canisters, nearly 7,000 rubber bullets and around 300 shipping containers. Islamabad police are said to have finalised the areas where they will be placing blockades, but the containers themselves have yet to appear on the capital’s streets.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is keeping its cards close to its chest; local leaders have received their marching orders, but they are keeping details out of the media so as to maintain an element of surprise.

This is still causing confusion; according to law enforcement officials, police have yet to receive formal orders regarding what to do with PTI protesters if they try to breach the capital. This is reminiscent of the confusion surrounding the 2014 sit-in, which made its way from Zero Point to Aabpara and onwards to D-Chowk nearly overnight.

Such uncertainty is also what allowed the supporters of Mumtaz Qadri to swarm the capital’s streets, wreak havoc with public property such as metro bus stations, and remain camped out outside Parliament House for nearly a week.

Party sources say that as of now, the plan seems to be to paralyse the twin cities by blocking the Islamabad Expressway at either Faizabad or Zero Point. This tactic is a tried and tested one, since it disrupts traffic on the three main arteries; the expressway, Murree Road and Club Road — which lead directly towards Constitution Avenue.

If Imran Khan is indeed serious about keeping government officials away from their workplace, he should consider establishing a permanent blockade at the Faizabad Interchange. This will put so much pressure on adjoining link roads that the rest of the twin cities’ roads will get clogged up on their own — thanks to the sheer volume of diverted traffic — without the PTI having to lift a finger.

The interchange is bordered on one side by the Parade Ground, while the vast residential Sector I-8 lies on its other side.

In I-8, youngsters play cricket and football in a playground, no more than a stone’s throw from the Faizabad Interchange. When asked what they will do on the day of “lockdown”, one optimistically gestures towards the game at hand, saying: “We’ll be here”.

The owner of a nearby general store also seems blissfully unaware. “Nobody’s come to me with anything like that,” he says when asked if local law enforcement have given him any instructions about the events of Nov 2.

A security guard sitting on one of the well-manicured lawns that border the I-8 service road also seems unaware of the forces that are about to descend on the city next week. “I haven’t been told anything by my sahib,” is his response when asked if he will take any extra precautions when Imran Khan’s caravan rolls into town.

This ambivalence seems to be the underlying theme ahead of the proposed “lockdown”. Both the Federal Directorate of Education and the Private Schools Association say they have made no decision on whether to keep schools open during the protest. Both say a decision will be taken close to D-Day, when the protest plan becomes clearer.

The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education also had examinations scheduled to begin from Nov 1, but there is no word yet on whether the date-sheet will be affected by the PTI’s protest.

Most embassies, who are usually very protective of their staff, have not issued any travel advisories to their staff, nor have their movements been restricted.

But among residents of ‘old Islamabad’, there are apprehensions. “Imran Khan’s protests create a sense of disruption and disorder... while the disruption may be intended, the ensuing disorder is most felt by the residents of Islamabad, who feel that the visiting protesters disrespect the city and feel they can do whatever they want,” says Azeema Cheema, who teaches at a local university.

The more troublesome thing, she said, was that a number of religious organisations were coming together under the banner of the Difa-i-Pakistan Council to stage their own show of strength on Oct 28, which may prolong this sense of disorder.

The Lal Masjid has also announced its support for the protest, a move which has raised eyebrows among those ‘in-the-know’. Even Tahirul Qadri, who was Mr Khan’s neighbour on D-Chowk a couple of years ago, has indicated he may be joining the fray.

Over at the press club, there are many theories. “There has been talk of militant elements joining the PTI protest; it is rumoured that Imran Khan has been in touch with Maulana Samiul Haq and other such figures to secure the presence of rowdy elements who can whip up a storm if things don’t go their way,” says one TV reporter.

A BBC journalist disagrees. “This time around, Imran Khan wants to inconvenience the people of Islamabad. He figures that they will get fed up with a prolonged sit-in and will, in turn, pressure the government to accede to his demands.”

But Naeemul Haq, the PTI spokesperson, is quite clear. “Such a large number of people are descending on the capital that all major arteries of Islamabad will be clogged. Things will be especially difficult for government employees, but we will not interfere with emergency medical services, the defence establishment and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.”

“We will create a completely peaceful environment where people can participate in the protest along with their families,” he said. While he regretted that students may be inconvenienced by his party’s actions, he said the responsibility for making alternative arrangements lay with the administrations of such institutions.

“Violence will not take place, unless the authorities attack the crowd with batons or teargas. Then, there will be a reaction,” he said.

He also warned that if PTI’s caravans from across the country were hindered in anyway, they would stage sit-ins where they stood, which will bring life in Punjab to a standstill.

Munawer Azeem, Kashif Abbasi, Kalbe Ali and Aamir Yasin also contributed to this report.

Published in Dawn October 25th, 2016